One Car Stolen Every 48 Minutes in 2021 in Ontario: Full Report
$1000000000
… the total cost of car thefts across Canada in 2021.
Key numbers regarding car theft in Ontario and in Canada for 2021
Car theft costs Canadians $1 billion each year. Below are key figures on this phenomenon which, unfortunately, is not decreasing:
Good to know
This data is based on car thefts claims registered by car insurance companies. It does not include other motor vehicle than cars. It may therefore be different from other car thefts data from governmental sources.
The Ontario 2021 top 10 stolen cars ranking
In 2021, SUVs most tempted car thieves in Ontario. The 2018 Lexus RX was the most stolen car. It is worth around $50,000.
- There are three more SUV in the rankings the 2019 Honda CR-V in second, the 2019 Toyota Highlander in 4th and the 2016 Range Rover in 10th of the most stolen cars in Ontario in 2021
- Hondas also are popular among thieves, with 3 of the company's models ranking in the top 10: the 2019 CR-V (2nd), the 2019 Civic (3rd) and the 2018 Accord (8th).
- In the middle of our top 10, we find 3 truck models: 2017 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra (5th), 2017 Ford F-150 to 450 (6th) and 2019 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 from 2019 (7th).
| Rank | Brand | Model | Year | Car type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexus | RX | 2018 | SUV |
| 2 | Honda | CR-V | 2019 | SUV |
| 3 | Honda | Civic | 2019 | Sedan |
| 4 | Toyota | Highlander | 2019 | SUV |
| 5 | Chevrolet/GMC | Silverado/Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500 | 2017 | Truck |
| 6 | Ford | F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450 | 2017 | Truck |
| 7 | Dodge | Ram 1500, 2500, 3500 | 2019 | Truck |
| 8 | Honda | Accord | 2018 | Sedan |
| 9 | Toyota | Corolla | 2017 | Sedan |
| 10 | Land Rover | Range Rover | 2016 | SUV |
We therefore realize that the preferred models of thieves are recent ones (between 2016 and 2019), and are distributed between different models and brands.
In 2021 47.2% of stolen cars in Ontario were SUVs
The last few years have seen a major trend in the automotive industry: the emerging population of SUVs (sport utility vehicle), which have won over millions of Canadian consumers.
It is therefore not surprising to find SUVs at the top of the most stolen vehicles in Ontario in 2021 (just around 5,150 thefts, or 47.2% of the total), as shown in the graph below. Next are:
- Sedans (34.7% - just over 4,000 thefts)
- Trucks (12.4% - around 1,350 thefts)
- Vans (3% - around 325 thefts).
Source: Equité association, IBC
Car thefts cost insurance companies $542 million in 2021 across Canada
Out of the $1 billion cost of auto theft in 2021 across Canada, 54.2% was paid directly by auto insurance companies. Their claims payoffs were a total of $542 million. The remainder of the $1 billion cost includes:
- Police services
- Prison and justice services
- Health care for victims
Source: IBC
Ontario more negatively affected than Quebec, but less so than Alberta
To have the most impartial view possible when comparing car thefts by province, it is necessary to relate the actual number of thefts to the population of each territory. Here is what the numbers show:
- With 7.3 stolen cars per 10,000 inhabitants, Ontario is more negatively affected than Quebec (5.9)
- With an index of 13.1 stolen cars per 10,000 inhabitants, Alberta remains the most affected province in Canada - with an index more than twice that of Quebec.
Sources: IBC, Equité association
Our methodolgy
This study is based on information from public sources, including: the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Equité Association, the GAA and Statistics Canada.
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